Late, Late Drama Sees Park View Lose Out In The End

by Jeff King

Ebac Northern League Division 2 - Saturday 27th September 2025 Yarm & Eaglescliffe 2 v 0 Park View AFC

On paper this always looked a tough, tough test for the youngsters of Park View. A game on the road against one of the hot-favourites to be in the mix for the Second Division title and a team in really good form.

At the start of the day Y&E were 7th and Park View were 5th but the a side still playing their 'home' fixtures at the Billingham Town's Sovereign Supply Chain Stadium have played the least number of games in the league so far.

It perhaps means their position looks like a false one as if they win their games in hand and in the form they are in that's feasible they would be sitting second in the table.

Park View after a great start to the season are grinding out results with a lot due to their defensive abilities but at times are finding it hard to carve out opportunities at the other end to take advantage of their defensive work.

Indeed this was a clash of the Division's top two defences and for so long in the game it looked like it was going to be that statistic that took the honours until the late, late Y&E show.

Park View were forced into one change to their starting XI with Dylan Robson suspended it was 16-year-old Frankie Young that was called up to play in midfield alongside his older brother Brandon.

Two more 16-year-olds were called up from PV's junior set-up to make their first ever appearance in the First Team matchday squad in defender Ethan Lowery and midfielder Ethan Connelly.

The first chance of the game came on 5 minutes and it was a golden one spurned by the home side. Leo Cheesebrough clipping a great ball over the top of the PV defence to find Harry Williams in space about 8-yards out.

But he failed to hit the target and trouble James Hughes in the PV goal by heading well wide. Perhaps a chance the missing from action Y&E top scorer, the prolific Tom Atkinson may have taken.

PV responded with Stephen Siyanbola showing great skill inside the Y&E half as he moved towards the box. He slipped a lovely pass through into the box that almost freed Charlie Loveday but Cheesebrough got across well to clear.

The ball went out for a corner that Jacob Mallinson delivered and swung in dangerously but it was too high and Yarm keeper Lee Roberts watched it land on the top of the net.

Yarm were pushing hard with their direct approach although trying to get the ball wide to the flanks for their supporting full backs The Dalton Brothers to put crosses in.

A good period of possession for Y&E ending when Harry Stewart-Titchiner had a shooting opportunity from 20-yards out that he struck well but too high with his right foot.

Yarm picked up an early booking with Williams incurring the wrath of the referee and being shown a yellow card by the referee as the game got a bit feisty and highly competitive.

Brandon Young had picked up the Man of the Match award in Tuesday's win at Boldon CA and had made a good start to this game as well trying to get his team forward every time he could and breaking up play as well.

One such intervention saw him find brother Frankie who sent in a good cross towards Mallinson who looked free but was denied by a good interception by Joe Dalton.

Jamie Frizzel made a good interception as Jack Dalton tried to slide Josh Marshall in on the Yarm right. He then played the ball down the line to Loveday who won a corner of Jack Dalton.

Mallinson swung another dangerous ball into the six-yard box where Roberts came and made a good claim under pressure from the PV attackers arriving late.

Possession wise Park View were playing some neat controlled football across the midfield with both Young brothers and Bradley Hughes doing well. They also used the supporting full backs Frizzel and Reyhan Grimaud out wide.

But the Yarm defence was showing why it is the best in the Division and completely controlling PV's final third efforts to create openings. Holding firm and restricting the PV forwards at every opportunity.

Up at the other end they also were finding it tough going against a resolute PV defence well marshalled by skipper Dylan Wilkinson and Alex Clark. From a quickly taken Marshall throw Joe Dalton cut inside and let fly from 25-yards.

The strike was a good one and actually on target but it lacked the direction to really concern J Hughes who gathered it in comfortably. Then Roberts tried a speculative long-range effort which actually went out for a throw-in.

Not long after Roberts picked up a yellow card for a bad challenge on Grimaud as the Park View defender looked to clear the danger from a Stewart-Titchiner corner won by Joe Dalton.

On 36 minutes Y&E withdrew Williams and replaced him with Daniel Jones as the centre forward looked to be injured although had gotten involved in a couple of minor incidents following his yellow card as well.

PV were also conceding free kicks in and around the middle part of the pitch and from one of these Yarm had a chance to go in front. Cheesebrough delivered a ball into the PV box that caused confusion and a scramble.

The ball eventually falling at the feet of Roberts about 10-yards out but he scuffed his shot from a really good open position and it went wide of the PV right upright.

Y&E's manager also picked up a yellow card for taking his frustrations and protestations too far although his side were actually looking the more likely and almost snatched a half-time lead right at the end of the 45 minutes.

It came almost inevitably from a set-play. A corner from Stewart-Titchiner met gloriously in the middle by a powerful Ross Harrison header that flew past the dive of J Hughes but was inches wide of the target.

So, level and stalemate at half-time and plenty to play for in the second 45 minutes and Yarm certainly started the stronger pushing PV back on their heels as they went looking for the opener.

Grimaud was booked for a late challenge on Joe Scaife-Wheatley as the Yarm player attempted to go past him on the right flank. It gave PV some things to think about on that side as Y&E full back Jack Dalton pushed on.

He played a neat ball forward to Jones who did well to control and then lay the ball back into the path of Roberts who shot just over the bar from not far outside of the box.

Then the Dalton boys combined again to almost catch PV out. Jack's cross from the right going deep to the back post where Joe had a superb chance but could only head wide from 8-yards out with only J Hughes to beat.

It was a Joe Dalton long throw that almost brought disaster for Park View. It went deep into the danger area and Siyanbola in an attempt to clear it could only dive head the ball past his own keeper.

Luckily for him , J Hughes and all at Park View the ball hit the far post and didn't go in with Grimaud hacking it clear to safety. The momentum seemed to be building though and the home side celebrated jubilantly on 57 minutes.

They thought the PV defence had been breached and the deadlock broken when the ball found it's way into the back of the net. Jones getting free close in only for J Hughes to make an excellent brave block.

The ball spun back and in the ensuing scramble Jones forced it over the line but used his hand in doing so punching the ball home. The home bench were stopped short but tellingly there was no protest from Jones who avoided a card.

Ten minutes later Y&E must have thought it wasn't going to be their day with an unbelievable miss from Stewart-Titchiner that again the home support celebrated prematurely.

Excellent footwork by the nimble Jones on the edge of the PV box saw him slide a superb pass into the path of the Y&E midfielder who only had J Hughes to beat and was in control of the ball.

Stewart-Titchiner did complete the first part by beating Hughes' dive but inexplicably put the ball wide of the post when it looked easier to score. All on the home side with heads in hands.

Two minutes later Jones was the provider again doing well on the byline to creat space and then firing a low cross in that fellow substitute Sam Conway flicked towards goal from close range but J Hughes' made an excellent reflex save.

Little had been seen of PV in attack but brilliant play on the left by Siyanbola saw him evade a couple of tackles before driving forward. The big striker finding Loveday in space but his fellow forward's effort from 22-yards was over the bar.

Nathan Conroy came on for PV in place of Mallinson and Y&E made a further two substituions as well. Joe Hillerby coming on for Cheesebrough and Adam Groom for Scaife-Wheatley.

Stewart-Titchiner was becoming more and more influential as the game wore on for Y&E. His clever reverse pass into the PV box finding Joe Dalton in an advanced position he turned well and crashed an angled drive on target but J Hughes was well placed to parry the effort away.

As the game clock ticked down it was Park View's turn to pick up a couple of yellow cards. Frizzel booked for a late tackle on Harrison and then Siyanbola after a clash with Y&E skipper Cam Wild.

But it looked like Park View were going to hold out as the game went into six minutes of injury time. Three minutes of those had passed before finally the deadlock was broken in slightly contentious circumstances.

Clark was on the ground after a 50/50 clash with Jones. As Wilkinson cleared his lines and the ball looking like going out for a home throw-in the referee blew his whistle with Clark holding his head.

After Clark recovered the referee had no choice but to restart the game with a drop-ball for Yarm as they would have had possession had he allowed the ball to go out of play.

It was pivotal as unfortunately PV did not react to the situation. They failed to closed down Stewart-Titchiner down as he received the dropped ball and he sent a great cross swinging into the Park View box.

Up from the back was birthday boy Wild and he climbed highest almost unchallenged to bullet an 8-yard header beyond the outstretched hands of J Hughes' into the net to start his 30th party celebrations early.

The goal celebrations across the Yarm contingent showed how important they thought the late strike was and in some ways was a complement to Park View who had matched them fully for 93 minutes.

The second almost inconsequential goal came right before the final whistle and courtesy of a very uncharacteristic error from Wilkinson. He tried to shepherd a long ball over his own byline for a goal kick.

However, Hillerby was alive to the situation and got round Wilkinson to rob him and slide the ball into the path of the unmarked Conway who had the simple task of tapping it into an empty net to confirm the destiny of the 3 points.

A cruel finish for Park View who had battled well and competed manfully against a strong physical well set-up home side that used their resources and abilities to the full.

This Y&E side are one of those that look well structured for Division 2 NL football and will be hard to beat this season as they look to go one better than their blown playoff opportunity last campaign.

For Park View it was another one to mark under the 'lessons to be learned' banner. Perhaps the biggest concern despite their resolute and at times good football played is the spark of creativity needed to create goal scoring chances.

TEAM : 1. James Hughes 2. Reyhan Grimaud 3. Jamie Frizzel 4. Brad Hughes 5 . Dylan Wilkinson (c) 6. Alex Clark 7. Jacob Mallinson 8. Frankie Young 9. Stephen Siyanbola 10. Brandon Young 11. Charlie Loveday

SUBS : 12. Nathan Conroy (for Mallinson 75 minutes) 14. Zac Boddy (for Loveday 85 minutes) 15. Sam Beattie (for Brad Hughes 90+4 minutes) 16. Ethan Connelly (for Frankie Young 90 + 3 minutes) 17. Ethan Lowery (Not Used)

MAN of the MATCH : Brandon Young